What’s Hot in IoT?

March 23rd, 2017

The internet of things, or IoT, refers to connected, smart devices, and the ever-growing network of physical objects that feature an IP address for internet connectivity. IoT also refers to the communication that occurs between these two objects or other internet enabled devices. IoT was one of the biggest trends of both CES 2017 and MWC 2017, and its popularity will only grow. IoT has since gained a lot of momentum in the market, especially for smart home products, like a thermostat that you can control from your phone. But this is just the beginning of the potential of IoT. So what’s next? Read on to discover some of the hottest trends we expect to come for IoT! Trends in IoT

Smart Cities & Connected Cars

As of now, the biggest trend in IoT has been the connected home, which has revolutionized the way that many of us interact with the devices in our life. From turning off the lights or setting the alarm from our phones, the internet of things has definitely changed the home forever. Homes are smarter and more technologically advanced. We will see this IoT trend expand in the next few months into bigger ventures – smart cities and connected cars. Imagine instead of just having a smart home, there were smart cities and connected cars – turn on your car from your phone or have wireless charging pads built into the roads that can charge your car as your drive! The possibilities are endless. As we see IoT technology get more and more advanced, we can expect big breakthroughs in smart cities and connected cars coming in 2017.

Wireless charging & IoT

Creating A Safe IoT

Security concerns over IoT have been growing increasingly, and we are likely to see this trend continue into 2017. In fact, many believe that one of the main barriers to further IoT development and adoption are the security risks. Because of this, 2017 will most likely be the year of security, as we see that trend becoming more and more important. As more of our devices are connected, we expose ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable to security threats. We believe that security startups will flourish this year as the demand to ensure a protected IoT environment grow. Security concerns will focus on protecting both the data and the devices themselves.

Because The Threats Will Grow

As noted above, we believe that big trend in IoT for 2017 will be the growth of security hardware, technology, and practices for the internet of things. But why will this be needed? Basically, because the threats and security risks associated with IoT will grow. The rapid growth of connected devices means an equal or even bigger growth in a number of potential security breach points. We saw large-scale breaches occur in IoT devices in 2016, and the number of such breaches will only increase this year. There are some deficiencies in IoT devices that fail to protect against these attacks and breaches, however hopefully these issues will be addressed by the security startups mentioned above. Hackers target specific areas such as industrial sites, traffic systems, and connected cars which creates a huge problem for personal safety and businesses. The growing trend of increased security risks associated the IoT, will lead to another trend in 2017 – to prioritize initiatives on how to minimize these threats.

IoT help to minimize security risks

Growth of AI

The growth of IoT, which is expected to continue in 2017, is speeding up the need for artificial intelligence. A lot of the technology associated with IoT, such as connectivity, data analysis, and security will require AI to function at a larger scale. Because of this, developments will need to be made in the AI sector to keep up with the ever-growing internet of things. Think about it: there just are not enough people on earth to run the large networks that the IoT depends on. In 2017, many top IoT companies will compete with one another to target companies with strength in AI (meaning we may also see a lot of acquisitions in this field in 2017).

Voice Assistants – The Battle over the Connected Home

Let’s face it, 2016 was definitely the year of the connected home. From Amazon Echo to Google Home, the connected home ruled the IoT world. This trend will definitely continue into 2017 as the battle over the connected home continues, with companies competing with one another to create the perfect home voice assistant. Voice assistants could emerge as the key to winning the connect home and other consumer IoT fields.

amzon echo

 

The internet of things will definitely continue to grow throughout 2017, as new technology emerges and continues to connect us with the devices around us. Besides growth, we will also see big changes in the IoT world, especially when it comes to security risks and potential safety measures that may be invented. From connected cars to smart homes, the IoT will continue to shape our lives and bring us into the future!

Read more about wireless charging & Iot!